Zoroaster for President

Every year, as spring approaches, the small remnant of Iranian Zoroastrians gathers to celebrate the rituals of the world’s oldest monotheistic faith.  For many years now, I have been hearing stories about a substantial Zoroastrian movement, and I’ve met some Iraqi Zoroastrians, whose patience and resolve greatly impressed me.  I have an ongoing fantasy that some day, after we are rid of the Islamic Republic, we will witness a rebirth of the religion that gave us Cyrus the Great, the author of the world’s first proclamation of human rights, and the liberator of the ancient Jews.  The regime greatly fears this, and they have removed “Persian Empire” from the curriculum.

I thought you might welcome a peek at the Zoroastrians, so here’s a good video, and some useful background, here and here.  Notice that MSNBC reports that this year, for the first time in recent years, Muslims participated in the ritual.  To which I would add, the regime did not try to quash it.  Let’s hope it’s an augury.

Meanwhile, I was struck by the remarkable good will and discipline demonstrated by Green protestors against the regime’s man in France.   “Homylafayette” provides a very entertaining account here, complete with videos and great photos.  The Iranian Ambassador to France totally lost it, and got a lesson in good manners from the gendarmes.  How sweet it is!

Think of the confrontation as a Zoroastrian-style crowd against a furious fundamentalist who knows his world is burning…ironically just as Persia’s ancient community is kindling the ritual flame of new life.